Stress has multiple negative effects on your body that can become detrimental to your health if you don’t take care of yourself. Stress doesn’t just affect your body in negative ways; it also affects your mind, mood and behavior.

Stress can make us super anxious or restless and cause lack of motivation or focus. It can also lead to irritability or anger issues as well as sadness or depression. Stress can actually show on your body. Your skin could potentially break out in rashes or hives depending on how stressed you are and how your body reacts to stress.

If you find yourself over or under eating, having sporadic, angry outbursts, abusing drugs or alcohol, using tobacco, or withdrawing yourself from social gatherings, stress could be affecting your behavior, which directly affects those who surround you.

Have you ever had a rough day in the office and you walk out with a headache and feel completely worn down? Headaches and fatigue are two examples of how stress can affect your body. As well as muscle tension/pain, chest pain, an upset stomach, problems sleeping and change in sex drive.

Even one of these will make your health suffer. But if you don’t control your stressors and you start having more than one of these signs of stress, your health is going to suffer even more. These signs of stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, insomnia, obesity and diabetes. Stress can also negatively impact your organs and tissues.

It can run you down completely if you don’t take care of yourself. Some ways to reduce stress are to exercise, meditate, yoga, get rest, spend time with pets and loved ones, walk outdoors, journal, practice deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise.